Continuing our series of Life the Basic Manual YouTubes on Dr Myhill, we now have this one on Infectious Diseases and how they relate to CFS/ME.

“Dr Myhill is a world-leading doctor in the field of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis. She has published several books and papers on the subject, and she has treated thousands of patients with these conditions, including those suffering from chronic infections. In this short film, she outlines her approach to dealing with the complex nexus of infection, dysregulated immunity, leaky gut and energy deficits.

Dr Myhill is actually in the process of writing her next book, which is on this topic, and its working title is “Life Is An Arms Race”. All living organisms, humans included, represent either a home or food to viruses, bacteria, protozoa and fungi. There’s a chicken and egg question when CFS/ME and infectious disease co-occur in terms of primary causation, but the really important consideration is – how can these diseases best be treated?

There is a debate over which is more important in terms of treating disease – improving the terrain (us) or destroying the microbe (them) which has lingered on for at least two centuries. But as far as Dr Myhill is concerned, this warfare is siege warfare and requires a multi-factorial approach. Her basic package of treatment (diet, supplements, sleep etc), which she insists patients put in place prior to using herbal or pharmacological treatments to kill pathogens, is to make sure that the patient’s innate defences are as robust as possible. Only then can the second prong of killing the microbes begin.

All microbes regard sugar and carbohydrates as a highly desirable meal. Dr Myhill makes sure her patients are firmly committed to eating a Paleo Ketogenic diet, to getting enough sleep and rest, replenishing micronutrients, and excluding foods likely to damage the gut. These interventions do not require a prescription and are within each individual’s power to put in place. She also discusses the role of Vitamin C in combating disease, and the exciting new clinical evidence of its efficacy in reducing mortality from sepsis.

When this foundational level of support and nourishment are in place, the body has a better chance to combat infectious disease. Tick and insect-borne disease have sharply risen in incidence with a warmer, wetter world. There are no cookie cutter solutions because each patient who is battling these diseases will have their own set of infections and co-infections. Dr Myhill discusses some of the herbs that many find helpful in this situation.

This is also the point at which testing may be indicated. Effective testing for Borrelia (the Lyme bacteria) and its common co-infections such as babesia and Bartonella is a controversial area, and many of the standard, but less sensitive tests, are regarded by the Lyme-literate community as largely useless.

Dr Myhill ends by sharing her experience of working with many patients who have previously been guided into expensive IV regimes of antibiotics to little good effect. She believes that whatever treatment method you pick, it should be preceded by laying the foundations of as healthy life possible in terms of diet and lifestyle.”